I dig around a lot of roots. Oak tree roots
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Bully Tools 14-Gauge Round Point Trunk Shovel with Steel D-Grip Handle-92712 - The Home Depot
grind the edge to sharpen it, and you will have a nice shovel with limited lifetime warranty.
All of the diggers like that I've seen break have the shovel head welded directly to the handle. The original Sampson made by W. W. Mfg has a half inch piece of cold rolled steel round stock that connects the handle to the shovel. I've never seen one of theirs break. They are the manufacturers, now of the Lesche digger tool, the ground shark and the sampson shovel. If you go to their web site and look at the catalog photo of the original sampson shovel you can see what I mean. Take a picture of that to your welder and if he knows his metal, he'll understand the significance of that piece of steel welded between the head and handle.
I busted many digging tool in my day, however in the past few years I have been using stainless tools from some German firm called AAA. Man they will cost you up to 200 bucks but I have not bent or broke one yet.
I do own extra ones too just in case that day comes, I hope it does not though.
Careful if you buy a welder, you will suddenly start finding many things that need fixing or want to start building things. LOL